• Category 1

    Selected in 2020

  • Grades: k - 5
    School Setting: suburban
    Town Population: 40
    Student Enrollment: 475
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 27%
    White/Caucasian: 55%
    Hispanic: 11%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 6%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 42%
    % ELL Learners: 2%
    Founded: 1956
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Dr. Christi Hildebrand
  • CONTACT:
    46 Elm Street
    Newnan, GA 30263
    770-254-2865
    christi.hildebrand@cowetaschools.net
Elm Street Elementary School
Newnan, GA
"Our school has had a strong positive culture for decades! "

What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
High expectations for all! Teachers have high expectations for all learners. They hold the same high expectations for themselves as well. We all work to hold one another up to meet our individual and collective high expectations.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
Elm Street has an expanded approach to the gifted service model, now known as Brainy Day, which expands opportunities and includes more advanced content students in the gifted model while strengthening support for students at all levels of achievement. The initiative supports subgroups as well as upper level learners, bringing powerful gains. To expand services, Elm Street essentially added a second gifted teacher, without adding any additional staff, by pulling a teacher from the grade level of students served. For example, on Tuesday, third grade students are served by the traditional gifted teacher, the additional gifted teacher (a grade level teacher who is also certified with gifted endorsement), and the other three grade level teaching team members for the entire school day. While two work together to serve a greater number of gifted students one day per week, the remaining grade level teachers have time to devote to enrichment and advancement of remaining students.
Explain how ESEA federal funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Elm Street uses Title I and ESEA federal funds to support our school improvement goals. Our typical Title I funds are spent in large part on staff together with supplemental instructional supplies. This year, the addition of our ESEA federal funds allowed us to add some extra subscriptions to technology services such as Cami. The additional ESEA funds awarded to us this year also allowed us to make some very timely additions of bluetooth microphone and speaker combinations for classroom teachers so that they may clearly communicate with students in person and virtually through the added layer of their masks. Teacher clarity is a key component of effective instruction, and we are learning new ways to work through our covid-safe school environment. Used in this way, our ESEA funds will support our school's improvement and achievement goals across all grade levels.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Teachers and school leaders use a variety of formative and summative assessment data to inform instruction. Teachers and leaders participate in quarterly data meetings, MTSS/RTI data review. Teachers and leaders look at practices that can be adjusted at the whole group, small group, and individual level in order to best support all levels of learners. While we study data at the individual and collective level, we also recognize that students are more than isolated test scores or test data trends. Our focus is on steady gains for all students, with an aim for more than one year's growth in each year.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
Our school has had a strong positive culture for decades! At Elm Street, we consider it a great honor and privilege to maintain the level of school and community pride, steeped in neighborhood tradition, while also seeking new ways to connect and grow. We have continued to strengthen and enhance our positive culture over the past decade through the development of student advocate groups and houses. Student advocacy groups, where each student in our school has an adult advocate, have been a rich addition to our culture. Each month, we gather for lunch as student advocacy groups. All staff members and all student participate. Each advocacy group is also part of a larger house. Our houses support one another, compete in challenges, and enhance our connectivity across campus. Despite our pride in our individual houses, together we are Elm Street! It is an honor to work to extend and enhance our strong school culture.
Stats
  • Category 1

    Selected in 2020

  • Grades: k - 5
    School Setting: suburban
    Town Population: 40
    Student Enrollment: 475
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 27%
    White/Caucasian: 55%
    Hispanic: 11%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 6%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:18
    % Reduced Lunch: 42%
    % ELL Learners: 2%
    Founded: 1956
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Dr. Christi Hildebrand
  • CONTACT:
    46 Elm Street
    Newnan, GA 30263
    770-254-2865
    christi.hildebrand@cowetaschools.net